<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Shout Into The Void (And The Void Shouts Back) by AbschaumNo1</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25904887">Shout Into The Void (And The Void Shouts Back)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbschaumNo1/pseuds/AbschaumNo1'>AbschaumNo1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hermitcraft RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, I have no idea how to tag this tbh, Kinda, Multi, No graphic descriptions though, Personified Void, Pining, Serious Injuries, as in potentially fatal injuries, i guess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:53:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,902</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25904887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbschaumNo1/pseuds/AbschaumNo1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What no one expected when Zed started building a trash chute into the void was for him to become friends with the actual Void. <br/>It all kind of goes from there.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zedaph/impulseSV/Tango Tek, impulseSV &amp; Tango Tek &amp; Zedaph (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>170</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Overworld</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So the other day on the discord we were discussing the concept of the Void being sentient and being able to come up past the bottom bedrock layer of the world and becoming friends with Zed and then that turned into there being three different Void wisps for the three different dimensions and that in turn turned into Team ZIT becoming friends with them (also the other Hermits, but mostly Team ZIT) and all of a sudden I had a google doc open on my phone and started writing.</p>
<p>Chapters will most likely remain fairly short. I just liked the idea of splitting it up thematically.</p>
<p>You can also find me on <a href="https://abschaumno1.tumblr.com">tumblr</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zed's the one who starts it.</p>
<p>For some reason none of them quite understands he decides he needs a hole all the way down past bedrock and into the void below. He says he wants to use it as a trash chute but Impulse and Tango know him well enough to know that he'll find other things to do with it.</p>
<p>But it's not like they can stop him so Impulse just sighs and shakes his head and gets his bedrock breaking box out and gets to work.</p>
<p>They stand around the hole once it's done, looking down into the void below.</p>
<p>"Are you really sure about this?" Impulse asks, because even if he knows Zed will do his thing either way, he's still a mother hen.</p>
<p>"Absolutely," Zed says. "Now don't worry about me whatever death messages you read. I just need to science up some things."</p>
<p>And even Tango sighs and shakes his head at that but he exchanges a look with Impulse, who shrugs helplessly and they decide not to press the issue further. It's Zed. If they worried about him every time he did something silly and weird they'd never stop.</p>
<p>"Have… fun, I guess," Tango says, and Zed beams at them as he thanks them and they climb out of the hole, leaving him there considering the hole in the bedrock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zed starts his science almost immediately. He jumps into the void, he tries to fly back out, he tries to get back out swimming up water. He dies a bunch of times, and it's not the nicest feeling to suffocate in the void and he maybe questions his choices a little whenever he wakes up gasping for air, but he gets out of his bed and climbs back down and keeps going.</p>
<p>Things get a little weird when he decides to throw things down. Logically they should just disappear, and they do at first, but then he throws in an egg and it gets thrown right back at his face.</p>
<p>Zed blinks, confused for a moment, but then he realises that a baby chicken emerged from the broken egg and he spends the next hour chasing it around the little cave he dug out.</p>
<p>When he comes back down the next day all of the things he threw into the void lie strewn around the hole. He considers them for a moment before he throws them back in and retreats to the wall of the cave, waiting to see what happens.</p>
<p>He almost gives up when the first item flies back out and the rest follows quickly. He waits to see if there's more and his patience is rewarded when a wisp of...something emerges from the hole. It shimmers a dark green, and it curiously moves around the hole, inspecting the items on the floor. Zed catches a glimpse of yellow eyes but then he moves and it gets spooked and disappears back down into the void.</p>
<p>He gets up and slowly approaches the hole to squat down next to it.</p>
<p>"Hey it's okay, I won't hurt you," he calls softly. "You can come back out if you want to."</p>
<p>Nothing happens at first, but then he sees those eyes again, glowing from the void and a moment later the wisp peeks its head out of the bedrock hole again into the cave. It watches him curiously for a moment and he sits down on the floor, legs crossed, and holds out his hands to show that he has nothing in them.</p>
<p>"See? I'm not going to try anything," he says gently.</p>
<p>The wisp seems to decide that he's telling the truth because it emerges back out from the hole and goes right back to inspecting the items on the floor.</p>
<p>"You threw those out, didn't you?" Zed asks, hoping he won't spook it again.</p>
<p>It throws him a look from where it's curling around a bucket, poking its head inside that doesn't need words because the exasperation is quite clear.</p>
<p>"So what are you?" Zed asks curiously, because it seems like it understands him perfectly fine and well, he's curious.</p>
<p>The wisp lets out a huff and moves away from the bucket to hover over the void.</p>
<p>Its tail almost seems to merge with the void itself and it takes him a moment and the wisp moving down a little and merging even more with the void to understand.</p>
<p>"You're...the Void?" He says, still unsure if he came to the right conclusion.</p>
<p>The wisp, no the Void apparently, nods and then it darts back out, just to hover in front of him, looking at him questioningly.</p>
<p>"Me? I'm Zed. I live here. Or well. I live up top not down here."</p>
<p>He's fairly sure the Void is laughing at him, and he chuckles, before he settles back against the bedrock behind him and watches as it goes back to what it was doing before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He learns a few things about the Void. It can communicate telepathically through images and feelings, and it can make little sounds, huffs and coos and chirps; it is curious about everything it sees, and it likes getting pet. Or well, what passes as petting something that just swallows your hand. It is also larger when it is below bedrock, but can only maintain the wisp-like shape above it. Zed doesn't quite understand that part but he also doesn't mind because the Void wisp is...cute.</p>
<p>He talks to it, tells it stories, recounts the shenanigans he gets into with the other Hermits, and it listens attentively. Sometimes it shares its own stories, about its siblings, the void beneath the Nether and the void in the End.</p>
<p>Most of all though it drinks up everything Zed tells it about the Overworld, and it's not long before he realises that it's a bit lonely down below the bedrock. He decides he wants to do something about that.</p>
<p>He starts by naming a pig Yoyo and bringing it down. It's not much, he knows, but the void loves it, and when it falls down into the hole, it catches it and holds it until Zed can at least put it into a harness so it can bob up and down below the bedrock at least some of the time.</p>
<p>The void seems amused by it, and they spend many hours down by the hole watching Yoyo bob or feeding him and taking care of him. It's what they're doing when voices drift down from the cave of contraptions, and Zed looks up for a moment before he recognises Tango's and Impulse's laughter.</p>
<p>"Hey Zed, are you home?" Tango calls, his voice echoing down the shaft to what Zed's started to think of as the Void's room.</p>
<p>"It's Tango and Impulse," he explains at its curious look. "Do you want to meet them?"</p>
<p>It nods eagerly and he gets up from where he was sitting on the floor.</p>
<p>"I'll be right back," he says before he starts climbing the ladder all the way up to his cave.</p>
<p>Tango jumps when Zed pokes his head out of the hole in the ground and says, "I'm down here. What's up?"</p>
<p>"We just wanted to hang," Impulse says. "You still doing your void experiments?"</p>
<p>"Not exactly," Zed says. "Come down, there's someone I want you to meet."</p>
<p>They exchange a look, but he chooses to ignore it in favour of climbing back down, and sure enough they both follow.</p>
<p>The void is curled around Yoyo, but comes up to hover in front of them once Impulse and Tango have reached the bottom.</p>
<p>"These are Impulse and Tango," Zed tells it before he turns to his friends, "and this is the Void."</p>
<p>"The...Void?" Tango asks.</p>
<p>The Void flashes its little teeth in a smile and comes to rest on Zed's shoulders, curling around his neck almost like a scarf.</p>
<p>"Shouldn't the Void be bigger?" Impulse asks, tilting his head.</p>
<p>"It is," Zed says. "As long as it's down below bedrock at least. But up here it can only maintain this size."</p>
<p>"So you two have been talking, I guess." Impulse smiles as they all sit down, the void cooing happily at the attention it gets from everyone as it starts moving between them.</p>
<p>Zed leans back with a smile.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Nether</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tango's down at the bottom of the Nether to mine for Ancient Debris when he has the thought. It's been a few weeks since Zed introduced the Overworld Void to them, and he can't help but wonder if its Nether sibling is lonely as well. If maybe it's just waiting for someone to break through, down into the void beneath the Nether and befriend it. He lights the next line of TNT and steps back, out of range, considering the already mined out strip behind him as he waits for the explosions to die down. He's almost at bedrock level down here, he'd only need to dig down a little and find the right block to break. He knows he could do it, he's watched Impulse often enough to know how, and the mechanics are the same as for the Nether ceiling, even though he'll probably have to break a few blocks more to make room for the mechanism first. He has TNT enough with him, and he's far enough away from anywhere where an unwitting Hermit might stumble across the hole and fall in.</p>
<p>He shakes his head and turns to follow the newly exploded tunnel, mindful of the lava dropping from the ceiling in some places, and keeping his eyes open for Ancient Debris.</p>
<p>If he does this he should probably do it closer to his tunnel entrance, he tells himself, if only to have easier access to the hole.</p>
<p>He mines what Ancient Debris he can find before he turns around and starts the track back to where he started. His concentration is shot anyways now, it's better if he stops before he blows himself up.</p>
<p>He hesitates when he reaches the little staircase he dug into the netherrack to come down, and then he checks his surroundings with a sigh. There are no piglins in sight, so he dares to put down his enderchest and quickly digs up his redstone box, before he throws anything he doesn’t need in. After a moment of consideration he grabs a respawn anchor and some glowstone from another shulker and sets it up by the steps. He’d rather respawn close by than have to walk all the way back here just to get his stuff if he accidentally blows himself up doing this.</p>
<p>He works quickly, but before he blows up the first block of bedrock he has another moment of hesitation, brought on by the memory of Xisuma finding out about the Overworld Void.</p>
<p>He had sighed heavily, and made a gesture as if he was about to pinch his nose before he remembered that he was wearing a helmet.</p>
<p>“I don’t think I want to know details,” he had said. “Just maybe don’t break too much bedrock down here.”</p>
<p>“I won’t,” Impulse had promised.</p>
<p>Xisuma had nodded and then the Void had moved from where it had been curled around Zed’s neck to hover in front of him, curious little thing that it was and Xisuma had smiled.</p>
<p>“It’s nice to meet you too,” he had said, before he had reached out to scratch it under the chin. “Try not to swallow the Overworld, okay?”</p>
<p>The Void had chirped in amusement, before it had gone back to settle on Zed’s shoulders, quite obviously content to sit there and watch as Xisuma left and Impulse set about widening the hole.</p>
<p>Tango shakes off the memory. Xisuma will probably make him clean up the shopping district for the rest of the season for this, but Tango’s curiosity wins out, and he gets to work.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What he doesn’t expect when he breaks the final block is for something to shoot out and twirl around him with a sound that’s almost a mad cackle. Tango blinks in surprise and the Nether void comes to hover in front of him, its mouth stretched into a wide grin.</p>
<p>"You're lively, aren't you?" He says laughing, and the Nether Void snickers.</p>
<p>It looks different than the Overworld Void, with a dark orange glow to it, its form looking not unlike a more liquid version of a magma cube. It has little horns and tiny fangs, and there is something mischievous about it. Tango already loves it.</p>
<p>He doesn't know how much time he spends down there with it, getting to know each other and exploring the mined out tunnels together for a bit before they sit back down by the hole, Tangos legs dangling down into the void while the actual Void is listening to his careful explanation of their shenanigans in the prank war.</p>
<p>Neither of them hears the steps until Impulse comes around the corner, saying "Oh there you are Tango."</p>
<p>The Nether Void darts behind him, but immediately curls around his shoulder so it can see Impulse, who stops to take in the scene, exposed bedrock, hole into the void, and all.</p>
<p>Tango's hand almost automatically comes up to scratch the Nether Void's chin, while they both wait for Impulse to say something.</p>
<p>He sighs and comes over, sitting down across from them.</p>
<p>"At least you managed not to blow yourself up," he says, before he holds out an open palm to the Void. "I'm Impulse. It's nice to meet you."</p>
<p>The Void jumps over, nuzzling his palm to say hello before it scuttles up his arm, curious just like its Overworld sibling. Impulse laughs at the ticklish feeling of it moving across his shoulders, and Tango has to smile warmly. Impulse has always been ticklish, and his giggles remind him of days long past before the three of them had ventured out into the world.</p>
<p>He gets lost in the memories for a moment, the afternoons lying together in the sun, hidden by the tall grass around them, pressed together. They're not as close anymore, he knows, and with a pang of sadness he realises how much he misses the way things used to be.</p>
<p>He's pulled from his thoughts by small claws on his face and an inquisitive look from bright yellow eyes.</p>
<p>"It's all good, buddy," he says, smiling.</p>
<p>The Nether Void nods and moves away to hover over the void again, zooming around, while Tango's red eyes meet Impulse's almost golden ones, too far away and yet way too close right now. There's something soft and fond about the way Impulse looks at him until he realises that Tango's watching and it disappears, replaced by his usual smile.</p>
<p>The Void stills, looking between them with a curious expression before it cackles again and with a last message to them both it disappears down below.</p>
<p>"Did it just…?" Impulse says, blinking.</p>
<p>"I think it did."</p>
<p>"It makes sense I guess. For them to be able to travel between dimensions." Impulse tilts his head in thought before he shakes it and gets up.</p>
<p>"Come on then. Let's not let it wait," he says, waiting for Tango to follow before they climb back up to the surface and take off back towards the Nether hub.</p>
<p>They've got some friends to meet at Zed's.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zed's standing over the shaft down to the Void room when they step out of the Nether portal, the Overworld Void on his shoulder as they stare down into the hole.</p>
<p>Even from further away they can hear the ruckus down at the bottom of the world.</p>
<p>The Overworld Void hears them coming and chirps, and when Zed looks up his confused frown eases into a smile.</p>
<p>"Hey," he says easily. "I have no idea what the noise is about. It started a few minutes ago. I was just about to go down."</p>
<p>"That uh will be the Nether Void," Tango says, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "I made friends with it."</p>
<p>There's another chirp from the Overworld Void before it jumps off Zed's shoulder and disappears down the hole, followed by silence from the bottom.</p>
<p>Zed blinks. "Well, I guess that explains that. Let's go down and see what they're up to."</p>
<p>He follows the Overworld Void into the shaft, followed by Tango and Impulse.</p>
<p>Down at the bottom the two Voids are hovering in front of each other and judging by the sounds of the chirps coming from the Overworld Void it is chiding its sibling.</p>
<p>"Oh dear," Zed says.</p>
<p>The Overworld Void ignores him, but the Nether Void hones in on him almost immediately and moves past the Overworld Void to approach Zed instead.</p>
<p>"Hey there, I'm Zed," he says with a warm smile, and much like earlier with Impulse the Nether Void makes to scuttle across his shoulders.</p>
<p>The Overworld Void huffs and in the blink of an eye it is back on Zed's shoulder, its hiss towards the Nether Void sounding not too dissimilar to a creeper right before it explodes. The Nether Void stops in its tracks and with a small giggle it comes over to rest on top of Tango's head, the rest of its wispy body curling down and resting on his shoulder, while the Overworld Void looks very pleased with itself.</p>
<p>They all settle down in what has become a fairly comfortable room and even if his earlier realisation is still on Tango's mind he manages to fall into their usual conversations easily.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Nether Void doesn't seem to want to go home after and so Tango takes it over to his base when they finally leave. It likes the Toon Towers, and he laughs when he watches it move through the main tower, inspecting his storage and moving through the rooms. He doesn't think it needs to sleep, but when he starts yawning and decides to go to bed it comes along, curling up beside him. Its muted glow is comforting somehow, and after he pets it one last time he falls asleep with a smile on his face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Impulse is sitting on the edge of the top level of his base, thinking. It's been a few weeks since Zed and Tango made friends with the Overworld and the Nether Void, and it has become a familiar sight for everyone to see them with them hovering around them or riding on their shoulders. The other Hermits had been curious at first but they had welcomed the Voids with open arms, and while they both tend to stick to Zed and Tango respectively, they have made friends with the others as well. The only one no one has seen yet is the End Void. The Overworld Void and the Nether Void don't say much about their sibling, but Impulse gathers that it is a lot more shy and skittish than the two of them. He knows some of the others have started casually talking to it when they are in the End, and they are all curious about it. But they also don't want to pressure it too much. Hopefully it will come to them if it wants to.</p>
<p>Impulse leans back, considering his surroundings while he tries to figure out which of his tasks to tackle first today, and his eyes land on Tango's base, the colourful towers just visible from his perch. Tango's been acting a little weird, he thinks. Ever since Impulse found him after first becoming friends with the Nether Void he's been a bit more pensive than usual, like there's something on his mind.</p>
<p>Impulse sighs. There used to be a time when Tango would have just shared what's on his mind, a time when he, Zed and Impulse shared everything. But that’s not them anymore. It hasn’t been for a long time. He remembers when things between them had started to progress in a new direction, when it had seemed like they were all on the edge of something that would have changed their relationship fundamentally. And he also remembers when they had all taken a step back and quietly decided that it was better for them to not go down that path, that their friendship is too important to risk. He wonders sometimes what could have been had they made a different choice, but then he reminds himself that it is better this way; that they're happy and that that’s the only thing that counts. And whatever is bothering Tango now, if he wants to share he will, and if he doesn’t he will figure it out eventually.</p>
<p>Impulse gets up with a decisive shake of his head. It’s no use to worry more than he has to when he has work to do. And with a last look towards Tango’s base he decides that he should start by fixing up his Wither rose farm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He breathes in deeply when he appears on the little platform just off the main end island. The air in the End is thinner than in the Overworld, but Impulse doesn’t mind. He could never explain it so it made sense but there is something about the smells and the atmosphere that makes him feel comfortable here. He feels something settle in him now, and with another deep breath he takes off and flies to the portal that will take him to his wither rose farm.</p>
<p>He spends a few hours out there, completely rebuilding his farm and respawning the wither to produce the roses. And usually he doesn't mind the silence around him, but today he finds himself keeping up a running commentary on everything he does, the sound of his voice swallowed by the void around him as he speaks. It's comforting somehow, knowing the Void is probably somewhere out there listening to him ramble.</p>
<p>He checks on the villagers after, feeling a small pang of guilt at the fact that he and Tango barely use their trading set up out here after spending so much time building it. He trades with them for a bit, before he settles on the edge of the entrance to take a break, listening to their quiet murmurs. It makes him think about Tango again and about Zed, and here on his own, with only the villagers and the Void to listen he finds himself rest his arms on his knees, admitting things out loud he has been avoiding for years.</p>
<p>"I don't know about them, but I don't think the feelings ever went away for me," he says. "I can tell myself that it's enough to be friends, but the truth is I'm still hoping that one day we will get another chance and that we will have the courage to take that step this time. I just haven't found anyone I care about as much as I care about them." He sighs. "But they don't seem to have the same problems. I mean I haven't seen them with anyone else but they seem to be fine with our friendship. I guess, with the way things changed, it's probably better this way. As close as we still are, it feels like we can't trust each other the way we used to. I would still trust them with my life but some things I don't think I can share anymore."</p>
<p>He shakes his head and gets up. "I better get going. I still have things to do at home. Gotta stock up the shops before nightfall, I guess. I'll be back soon though."</p>
<p>And when he's just getting into the portal to go back to the main island he thinks he sees something move out of the corner of his eye, but before he can check he's teleported back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I still think it's funny that Tango and I had the same idea with the ghast cannons and the fire charges," he says with a chuckle. It's a few days after his last visit to the wither rose farm, and something had drawn him back out here, so he's lying on his back on his little platform up above the farm, the warbles of the endermen below just barely audible and telling him the farm is running fine, while he stares up into the void.</p>
<p>"I mean they were both good offensive weapons, but it was still kind of hard to get enough fire charges to stock his cannons. They were a little easier to control than two ghasts though to be fair." He's silent for a moment before he adds, "It was fun though, the civil war. I think we all needed to decompress a little. The only thing I didn't particularly like was that Tango and Zed left for a while once it was done. I mean I get it, people leave to travel sometimes. It's just...the three of us have barely spent time away from each other since we were kids, and it felt weird to be the only one home while they were gone. I was glad when they came back."</p>
<p>There's a sound at his words, and that movement at the edge of his vision again, and this time he looks over to check what it is. At the edge of the platform, just peeking over it is a small head. It's barely visible against the backdrop of the void behind it, and he's fairly sure if it wasn't for the yellow eyes he would have missed it completely, but it is definitely there. It sinks a bit lower when it realises that he's spotted it, but a moment later it rises again and then it comes over the edge and slowly edges towards him.</p>
<p>Impulse smiles at it. "It's nice to meet you," he says softly.</p>
<p>The End Void tilts his head, but then it's within reach and he asks, "Is it okay to touch you?"</p>
<p>It thinks about that for a moment, but then it nods and Impulse slowly reaches out, doing his best not to spook it, before he gently runs his hand over the top of its head, his fingers sinking a little into its form just the way they do with its siblings.</p>
<p>The End Void coos at him and leans into the touch, before it moves a bit closer until it's leaning against his side. It huffs fondly and then it starts telling him stories about its siblings, about all the shenanigans they have gotten into and Impulse listens with a smile.</p>
<p>He has to laugh a little at its exasperation with them, and when it shoots him an unimpressed look he says, "No, no, I get it," before he launches into all the times Tango and Zed have gotten themselves into more trouble than they could handle and Impulse had to help them get out of it.</p>
<p>And for the first time in a while he doesn't even think about all the other things that have been on his mind.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Accident</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please note the updated tags!</p>
<p>Also please don't hate me. I swear it gets better. I mean that happy ending tag.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zed’s base lies silent when Impulse lets himself in. It had taken some time for the End Void to feel comfortable enough, but it finally wants to meet Zed and Tango at least, and they had all agreed to meet up tonight for the introductions.</p>
<p>It’s a bit surprising that Zed’s not here yet, but Impulse is willing to shrug it off. He’s probably still wrapping up whatever he’s working on right now. He’ll be there eventually. Besides, Impulse is early anyways.</p>
<p>He’s about to go ahead and climb down to the Void Room to wait there when there’s a chitter and the Overworld Void comes zooming across the Cave of Contraptions.</p>
<p>Impulse can tell immediately that something is wrong, even before the Overworld Void reaches him and starts chittering at him, sending him quick flashes of images, trying to tell him what happened.</p>
<p>He manages to understand enough to know that something happened to Zed out away from his base, but the details still elude him, even as he does his best to calm the Void down. There is a chirp from the hole leading down to the Void Room and a moment later the End Void is right there, its little paws resting on the Overworld Void’s shoulders.</p>
<p>It’s still calming it down when the door to the cave opens again and Tango and the Nether Void step through. Tango stops for a moment to take in the scene, while the Nether Void zooms over to join its siblings with a concerned chitter.</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” he asks concerned when he steps up to Impulse.</p>
<p>“Something happened to Zed. We’re still trying to figure out what,” Impulse says. He doesn’t even realise that he’s wringing his hands until Tango reaches out and takes them in his own, gently pulling them apart and squeezing them.</p>
<p>And Tango looks worried, but he takes a deep breath before he turns towards the Voids and asks, “What happened?”</p>
<p>The End Void has an arm curled around the Overworld Void, which chitters worriedly, but has calmed down enough to show them the full story.</p>
<p>Zed had decided to go out and work on his minigolf game, and as far as Impulse can tell, he was making decent progress when he had decided to test out a new hole. He had misjudged the distance to the ledge of the mountain top he was on, and he had over balanced and fallen. Impulse has to wince when it gets to that part. The drop looks bad, and the crunch when Zed lands does not sound good.</p>
<p>Tango gasps next to him, and they exchange a look, clutching each other’s hands almost painfully.</p>
<p>Impulse takes a deep breath.</p>
<p>“We need to get the others to help,” he says, and Tango nods.</p>
<p>He releases Impulse’s hands, and he’s already pulling out his communicator when he says, “I’ll call Xisuma, you try to reach Stress.”</p>
<p>“I’ll ask her to pick up False along on the way here,” Impulse says, while he reaches into his pocket for his own communicator.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It doesn’t take long to explain the situation to Xisuma, and luckily for them he’s in the shopping district so it won’t take long for him to arrive, but the minutes still feel like hours to Tango. He tries to fight down his rising panic. He can’t get the image of Zed’s crumbled body at the bottom of the cliff out of his head. There are a lot of things that will just make them respawn, but if that drop hasn’t been enough to kill him immediately and make him wake up in his bed again…</p>
<p>Tango has to swallow. It’s better if he doesn’t think about it. There are some things not even respawn can bring them back from, and he doesn’t want to consider that this might be one of them. Not when, not when…no, he can’t make this about his feelings right now. He has to focus on getting Zed safely back home.</p>
<p>Impulse takes his hands into his again, and squeezes them gently, making him look up. He can see a similar feeling reflected in his eyes and it makes him swallow.</p>
<p>“We’ll get him back,” Impulse says, and he almost sounds like he believes it and not like he’s just trying to be strong for both of them. It’s not much, but it’s enough for Tango to hold on to, to reassure him at least a little.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Xisuma practically crashes through the door just as Stress and False appear through the portal, followed by Iskall and Ren. The End Void disappears behind Impulse in a blur of glittering purple, shyly peeking around his leg, while he puts a gentle hand on top of its head. Tango focuses on Xisuma before he can get distracted by the care Impulse shows for the little wisp.</p>
<p>“Do you know where he is?” Xisuma asks, honing in on the two of them.</p>
<p>It’s Impulse who replies, “Not exactly. We just know he’s around the minigolf course.”</p>
<p>Xisuma nods grimly. “I know the way there. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>They all follow him as he walks over towards the back exit of Zed’s base. The Nether Void comes back to sit on Tango’s shoulder, making a concerned noise, even as the Overworld Void sits down on Impulse’s shoulder, the End Void having gotten enough over its initial fear to climb up onto his other shoulder, even though it still huddles close to where it meets his neck.</p>
<p>It's not too far to the minigolf course, and Xisuma doesn't hesitate to follow the first few holes towards where Zed must have been building the newest holes. The Overworld Void takes the lead at that point, once Impulse has given it a reassuring pat to its head, and they all follow it up the mountain and to the cliff where Zed fell.</p>
<p>And Tango thought he was ready to see it, but the reality of it hits him all over again, when they reach the ledge and look down.</p>
<p>Zed's still lying in the same position as he did in the images the Overworld Void showed them and Tango takes Impulse's hand without looking. He'd feel a little bad about squeezing it so tightly it must be painful, but Impulse is holding on just as hard.</p>
<p>"That's going to be hard to reach," Iskall says quietly.</p>
<p>"We could go around and approach from the side," Ren says.</p>
<p>Impulse takes a deep breath. "We could," he says. "But that's a hard climb for one person, nevermind how hard it's gonna be to climb back with him. And we don't know how well we can move him."</p>
<p>Xisuma is quickly tapping away on their other side, and Tango focuses on him.</p>
<p>"He's alive at least," he says after a moment. "But his health is low and from the looks of it he's dealing with hypothermia on top of his injuries."</p>
<p>Tango makes a small pained sound, and Impulse squeezes his hand again.</p>
<p>"We'll haf to warm 'im up," Stress says, "Probably before we can deal wif 'is injuries."</p>
<p>"His supplies should be close by," Tango says after taking a deep breath. "He's been using a lot of wool so we have that."</p>
<p>"Iskall, False, you're our best climbers," Xisuma says. "Can you try to get to him and assess the damage at least?"</p>
<p>They both nod, and they're about to turn back when the End Void lets out a small, squeaky chirp and Impulse says, "What do you mean?"</p>
<p>He listens to whatever it's telling him for a moment before he looks up at the others.</p>
<p>"The End Void says it and its siblings have a way to help," he says, and Tango knows the desperate hope he sees in Impulse’s eyes is mirrored in his own. "We might not like it though."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Rescue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I don't like it," Xisuma says once Impulse is done explaining. "There are too many variables. We don't know what's going to happen."</p>
<p>And Impulse gets it, he really does, but he can also see Zed lie down there, and he can smell the snow in the air, and he knows they’re running out of time.</p>
<p>“It might be the best choice we have,” he says quietly.</p>
<p>Xisuma sighs heavily. “I know.” He looks between them for a moment before he says, “It’s your choice. I can’t decide this for you.”</p>
<p>Impulse nods and turns to Tango, who has been uncharacteristically quiet.</p>
<p>“Tango?” he says, “What do you say?”</p>
<p> Tango’s silent for a moment before he looks up and meets Impulse’s eyes. He looks vulnerable, as if he’s in pain, and Impulse doesn’t think about it before he steps in and raises his hands to hold his face between his palms.</p>
<p>“We can’t lose him,” Tango whispers. “I can’t lose him. Or you.”</p>
<p>There are unspilt tears in his eyes, a whole range of emotions that Impulse doesn’t allow himself to think about further before he pulls Tango’s head in a little and kisses his forehead.</p>
<p>“Let’s do it then,” he says. “Let’s get him back.”</p>
<p>Tango closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he nods.</p>
<p>“Yes let’s.”</p>
<p>And there’s a lot Impulse wants to say to him right now, a lot he wants to do, but they don’t have time, and when he lowers his hands Tango catches one of them and squeezes it.</p>
<p>“Later,” he says, and Impulse is glad to hear that his voice is sounding stronger already.</p>
<p>Impulse squeezes back and echoes him, “Later.”</p>
<p>He turns away and looks at the three Voids, who are hovering a little off to the side, giving them room to make their decision. He meets the End Void’s eyes and nods.</p>
<p>“We’ll do it,” he says.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tango watches as the End Void nods and approaches Impulse. It makes a soft, reassuring sound at him, and Tango can just about see the edge of a smile on Impulse’s face as he pets it once.</p>
<p>“I’m sure,” he says.</p>
<p>It’s a weird thing to watch. The End Void opens its mouth, and it seems to expand as it rises into the air and then it swallows Impulse whole, and for a long moment there is only purple glittering darkness where he stood.</p>
<p>Tango forces himself to take a deep breath, reminding himself that Impulse is not gone; that he will come out of this changed, but that he will still be Impulse; that he’s doing this to save Zed. He’s seen the look in his eyes, and he didn’t have to say out loud that he can’t lose Zed either for Tango to understand.</p>
<p>The Nether Void comes back to his side, a reassuring weight on his shoulder.</p>
<p>They watch together as the patch of Void shrinks and takes a solid shape again, or at least mostly solid. It feels a little as if Tango’s watching Impulse through dense fog, or hot air, the image blurred at the edges, tendrils of purplish void coming off his body and curling around him.</p>
<p>He shoots Tango a quick, reassuring smile, his eyes the same bright purple as an enderman, and then he disappears in a spark of purple particles.</p>
<p>Tango takes a deep breath before he turns and approaches the edge of the cliff again. He just…he needs to see this.</p>
<p>Impulse is already crouched next to Zed, and Tango can’t see his face from up here, but he does watch as Impulse gently touches him, checking his injuries before he cautiously lifts him into his arms and teleports back up to where they’re waiting.</p>
<p>“We need to get him to shelter. Quickly,” he says, and a look at Zed’s unconscious face is enough for Tango to know why.</p>
<p>Zed’s lips have a blue tint to them, and his skin is pale. He looks like he’s freezing cold.</p>
<p>Tango has to swallow, even as the Nether Void huddles a bit closer to him, but he focuses on following the others back down and finding Zed’s storage area. Ren and False quickly get to work making sure that the little shelter he has built is mob and weather proof, while Iskall and Xisuma work on expanding it a little so they can all fit inside comfortably, and Tango himself quickly makes a small fire in the middle of the room.</p>
<p>Impulse gently puts Zed down on the bed, before he heavily sits down on the floor, his back against the wall. He smiles tiredly at Tango when he comes over to check on him, and Tango pulls him into a tight hug. Impulse hugs him back, resting his head against Tango’s shoulder with a sigh. He sags a little more into him after a moment, and Tango opens his eyes, ready to be concerned, only to realise that the End Void has split from Impulse again, and is hovering above them.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Tango says, his voice a hoarse whisper, and the Void smiles at him.</p>
<p>“We…we need to warm him up,” Impulse says against his shoulder, and they had talked about this earlier, when he had explained what the End Void had told him, so Tango just nods. He presses a kiss to Impulse’s temple before he releases him and gets up. The fire won’t be enough, they all know that, but there is another way, and Tango is willing to do anything to help Zed.</p>
<p>He pets the head of the Nether Void and says, “You ready buddy?”</p>
<p>The only reply he gets is a soft sound and then he is swallowed by the Void.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s a weird feeling, like he’s dissolving and burning up, but not in a painful way. The Void feels like a gentle hug, and he feels his being rearrange itself into solid shape again. When he opens his eyes he realises his skin is glowing slightly, and he takes a deep breath. There’s a hint of sulphur in the air, but he ignores it in favour of holding out a hand to Stress to let her confirm that he’s not going to overheat Zed right now.</p>
<p>She touches it and nods, and Ren quickly puts another bed next to the first one so they have enough space for Tango to lie next to Zed while Stress starts treating the worst of his injuries.</p>
<p>He can see Zed warm up a little already, and when Stress is done, he scoots over and under Stress’s watchful eyes, he pulls Zed into his arms and pulls the blanket over the two of them.</p>
<p>He’s so focused on Zed that he barely hears Stress gently talking to Impulse, and between the bed and the fact that the sun must have finally set outside and the adrenaline wearing off, he is already dozing off, when Stress helps Impulse into the bed with them. The colour of his eyes is fading back to normal, the purple almost gone, and Tango meets them steadily as Impulse crawls under the blanket on Zed’s other side, gently slipping an arm around him. Tango wordlessly changes the position of his arm until he’s touching Impulse. He thinks he can see him smile before he closes his eyes and drifts off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Nether Void must have separated from Tango at some point because the next time Impulse opens his eyes it’s lying piled up with its siblings on the pillow above their heads. Zed looks a lot better than he did when Impulse laid him down. The colour has returned to his cheeks, and he is warm to the touch again, his breathing less laboured than it was. Impulse is sure that he still has some time to go before he is well again, but his chances look better already.</p>
<p>The shelter is almost silent around them, the only sounds the deep breathing of the others and the cackling of the fire. Impulse twists a little to see their friends all in their own beds around the room, and he smiles before he settles back in and closes his eyes.</p>
<p>They'll figure out what to do from here in the morning.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Awakening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zed is disoriented for a moment when he opens his eyes. The last thing he remembers is being outside, working on his minigolf game. He wanted to test a potential new hole and he remembers lining up the shot and taking it, but everything after that is just dark.</p><p>He's clearly inside now, a white ceiling above him, and none of the usual sounds of the outsides around him.</p><p>The next thing he registers is the pain. His entire body is hurting, and when he tries to move his limbs, he realises that he can’t. He does manage to turn his head to the side, though even that hurts, and that’s when he sees them.</p><p>Impulse and Tango are sitting next to his bed, their chairs pushed together so they can lean into each other, Impulse’s arm around Tango, Tango’s head resting against his shoulder. His other arm is curled protectively around something in his lap and it takes Zed a moment until he sees the familiar green tint of the Overworld Void, curled up with the more reddish Nether Void and something glittering purple that he thinks must be the End Void. Zed manages a smile before he closes his eyes again, exhausted, and allows himself to slip back into sleep.</p><p> </p><p>They’re still there when he wakes up again, though this time they’re awake too and the moment they see that he has opened his eyes, they’re out of their chairs and at the edge of the bed, wrapping their hands around one of his.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” Impulse asks gently.</p><p>Zed tries to answer, but his throat is parched dry and all that comes out is a croak.</p><p>“Sorry,” Impulse hurries to say. “I should have known.”</p><p>He lets go of Zed’s hand and turns to take a glass of water from somewhere to the side, passing it on to Tango, before he cautiously slips an arm underneath Zed’s shoulders and lifts him up enough that he can drink.</p><p>They’re both gentle with him, and even though swallowing hurts a little, Zed drinks the entire glass of water before Impulse lowers him down again.</p><p>“What happened?” he finally manages to get out.</p><p>They exchange a look before Tango says, “You were testing a new hole for your minigolf game, and you somehow misjudged the distance to the edge of the cliff and…” He swallows. “You fell pretty badly. You’ve got a couple of broken bones, some cracked ribs. Not to forget the hypothermia when we found you.”</p><p>“Oh,” Zed says. It explains the pain at least. He remembers the cliff, and he wants to shudder at the thought of falling down from that kind of height. “I…I’m sorry for worrying you like that,” he says.</p><p>“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Impulse says gently. “It was an accident.”</p><p>“We found you and brought you home. That’s the most important thing,” Tango adds.</p><p>There's something different about them, Zed realises. It's something about the way they occupy each other's spaces, how even now when they've both got one hand around one of his, Tango's other hand is resting on Impulse's lower back, casually like it belongs there and Zed thinks he might choke on the hope rising in his chest.</p><p>Tango catches him looking and gives him a small private smile before he moves his hand a little, until his fingers rest against the inside of Zed's wrist, their thumbs hooked around each other.</p><p>And if it wasn't for the pain he's still in Zed is fairly sure he would start crying a little right now, because he's been yearning for this for years and the prospect of maybe getting it now is too much for him.</p><p>He manages to tune into what Impulse is saying just in time to catch the "-get Stress. I'll be right back." and nod before Impulse gives him a soft smile and gets up.</p><p>"Where...where's the Voids?" Zed asks Tango, because he realises he doesn't see them.</p><p>"They went home to rest," Tango says. "The...the End Void and the Nether Void tired themselves out pretty well helping us and the Overworld Void went with them."</p><p>"What did they do?"</p><p>And Tango is about to explain but at that moment Impulse comes back with Stress and he just squeezes Zed's hand and says, "Later."</p><p> </p><p>Stress fusses over him for a while, and she decides that he still needs rest before he's allowed to go back to working on his contraptions. But then she shoots a look at Tango and Impulse who have been doing their best not to hover, and sighs.</p><p>"I'll send you home wif them though. I fink they haven't gotten a good night's sleep since we found you, and you'll probably rest better at home."</p><p>She leaves his side for a moment to dig through a chest and comes back with a bunch of potions, before she settles down on the edge of the bed again and makes sure he knows what to take when.</p><p>She very sternly tells him to rest and fully heal up before he gets back to work, and to call her over immediately if he feels worse, and then she gets up and looks at Impulse and Tango.</p><p>"You two make sure he does all of that. And you rest up yourself. You can't 'elp 'im if you don't take care of yourselves," she says.</p><p>"We will," Impulse promises, and Tango nods beside him.</p><p>"Good. Now go take him home. And maybe talk. I fink you need to." The last is said gently, and Zed has to wonder what that is about, whether she has caught on to the fact that something is different between them or if there is something else they should tell him.</p><p>But he keeps his mouth shut and Stress leaves them. Impulse steps up to the bed, and gently, doing his best not to jostle Zed's limbs too much, he lifts him up into his arms.</p><p>"Where to?" He asks Tango, who thinks for a moment.</p><p>"The beach house," he finally says. "Feels like a good place to rest up and get better."</p><p>Impulse nods and says, "We'll see you there."</p><p>He smiles down at Zed. "We'll explain when he gets there," he promises, and Zed barely has time to realise that Impulse's eyes have shifted colours and are glowing purple before Stress's base fades around them and is replaced by the open skies around Tango's beach house, Impulse's base towering over them, and Toon Towers flanking it on the other side across the small river.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Future</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's a bit disorientating but Impulse only holds him close as he walks up the stairs onto the front patio and presses the button to open the door to get in.</p><p>He puts Zed down on Tango's bed before he starts digging through the chests and comes up with two more beds that he puts down on either side of it. And Zed's confused and curious but he knows they're going to explain and Tango's bed is comfortable, his smell still clinging to the pillow and the sheets, and if he closes his eyes Zed can almost imagine he's here.</p><p>He almost drifts off again, but then there's the sound of footsteps from outside and a moment later Tango enters, a bag of shulker boxes over his shoulder.</p><p>"I grabbed some food from my base," he says. "I don't think we all want to live off carrots and fish while we're here."</p><p>"That looks like it would last an army," Impulse says with a chuckle, and Tango rolls his eyes at him.</p><p>"It's not just food," he says mildly as he drops the bag down in a corner and turns to Zed with a smile. "You're comfortable?"</p><p>Zed nods, and sinks a bit further into the bed just because he can.</p><p>Tango exchanges a look with Impulse before they both come over and sit down on one of the beds next to his.</p><p>They look like they don't quite know where to start, and Zed asks the first question he can think of, "What happened when you found me?"</p><p>He doesn't know why but somehow he knows whatever is going on started with that, and whatever makes Impulse be able to teleport all the way from Stress's to here has something to do with his fall.</p><p>"Well, the Overworld Void helped us find you," Impulse says after a moment. "But it was hard to reach and we weren't sure how to get to you. Iskall and False were about to try and climb to you and get you out that way, but then the Voids had another idea."</p><p>He pauses and Tango picks up, "You see, they can merge with people if they want to, and neither of them had tried it before but...the End Void thought it might be worth offering at least."</p><p>"So...you merged with the Voids?" Zed tries to wrap his head around it but he's not sure he quite gets it yet.</p><p>"Impulse merged with the End Void. It gave him the ability to teleport so he went down and got you. And I merged with the Nether Void, because we needed to get you warmed up fast."</p><p>"It was supposed to be a one time thing, and we're not sure why but the connection stayed even when we split again," Impulse adds. "So I still can teleport and Tango...well." He turns to him. "You should show him."</p><p>Tango nods and before Zed can ask he holds up a hand and a moment later it goes up in flames that go out a moment later with tendrils of smoke rising in the air.</p><p>"The Nether Void says it's similar to blazes," he explains. "Though I have a lot more control over it, so I could just raise my body temperature enough to warm you up in that hut before we brought you back to Stress's."</p><p>"And you…" Zed says, looking at Impulse. "You teleport like an enderman. That's why your eyes looked all purple when you brought me here."</p><p>"Yes." Impulse nods.</p><p>Zed watches them both for a moment, and he realises that they're nervous. He's not entirely sure why but then he remembers Tango's hand on Impulse's back, Impulse's arm around Tango's shoulders, Tango's fingers on his wrist, and he thinks he gets it.</p><p>He's not quite sure what to say so he settles for a quiet, "Thank you. You...you didn't have to…"</p><p>"But we did," Impulse says just as quietly.</p><p>He scoots a little closer and takes Zed's hand. "We couldn't just risk letting you… letting you die. Not when there was something we could do. I couldn't risk that. Not when...not when…" He trails off as if whatever he wants to say next is too much.</p><p>Zed wants to pull him close and wrap his arms around him and tell him it's okay, he understands, he feels the same, has always felt the same. But he can barely sit up without pain and he doesn't think his body could handle that yet.</p><p>But luckily Tango is there, and he looks like he's in pain, and when his eyes meet Zed's when he pulls Impulse into a tight embrace Zed knows that it's the same for him.</p><p>Tango just holds Impulse for a moment before he manhandles him until they are both lying down next to Zed, who manages to slide down enough to lie down properly. And maybe he can't embrace Impulse the way he wants to, but he can get close enough to press up against his back. Tango blindly reaches out and takes Zed's hand to squeeze it and hold it, while they wait for Impulse to breathe normally again.</p><p>When he finally gets there he takes a deep breath and says, "I couldn't bear to loose either of you because I… I love both of you too much. Always have. I just...I never stopped. I didn't know how."</p><p>"It's the same for me," Zed says, and Tango's hand tightens around his. "The two of you are all I ever wanted. And needed. The only regret I have is that I never had the courage to tell you because I couldn't bear the possibility of losing what we still had."</p><p>Tango makes a pained sound at that and then he laughs a little watery.</p><p>"I...to think I could have…" He takes a deep breath. "Crap. I just...I love you two."</p><p>They're all silent for a moment but then Zed can't keep his laugh in anymore, and after a moment Tango and Impulse join him.</p><p>"Can you believe us?" Zed says finally. "Years of thinking we were better off with less than we used to have. Just because we were all too stupid to see what was right in front of us."</p><p>Tango loosens his hold on Impulse so he can turn around and when he looks at Zed it's with a soft expression on his face.</p><p>"I can actually," he says, chuckling. "Would it really be us if we got it immediately?"</p><p>Zed can hear Tango laugh where he has his face hidden against Impulse's neck, before he says, "He's got a point there."</p><p>Zed can only chuckle fondly.</p><p> </p><p>The Voids don't return to them for a few days and when they do the End Void and the Nether Void immediately move over to perch on Impulse's and Tango's shoulders, while the Overworld Void hovers in front of Zed, fussing over him for a moment.</p><p>"It's okay," he says. "I'm alive. I'll be fine."</p><p>The Overworld Void just huffs at him indignantly, and then, after a chirp from the End Void, it makes him an offer.</p><p>"Are you sure?" he asks when it's done explaining and it nods.</p><p>"Okay then."</p><p>And the Overworld Void smiles and opens its mouth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Impulse jumps when Zed's head pops through the outside wall of the top floor of the lamp shop. He only barely avoids hitting his head against the low ceiling, and his hand automatically goes up to give the End Void curled around his shoulders a reassuring pat.</p><p>"Zed," he says. "You almost scared me to death."</p><p>Zed laughs before the rest of his body follows along with the Overworld Void.</p><p>"I'm sorry. Tango and I were just wondering where you are."</p><p>"Is it time already?"</p><p>"Not quite but it won't be too long now."</p><p>Zed's close enough for Impulse to reach him now and he draws him in with a smile to give him a quick kiss.</p><p>"Let's go then."</p><p>Zed grins as Impulse holds him close and teleports them back to his base in a shower of purple sparks.</p><p>"We got everything set up already," Zed says as he sits down on the edge of the bed, watching while Impulse quickly washes the redstone dust off his hands and changes into clean clothes. "You're the only thing that's missing"</p><p>"I forgot time while I was working."</p><p>Impulse turns back to him with a smile and holds out a hand that Zed takes and it doesn't take more than a thought until they're standing in the middle of the desert between Impulse's and Zed's bases.</p><p>True to Zed's words they have everything set up already. Tango's sitting next to a campfire on some carpets they got out so they wouldn't have to sit in the sand. He's idly throwing small flames into the air that the Nether Void snags up before they can reach the ground. He stops when they appear and smiles up at them.</p><p>"There you are," he says, and when they sit down on either side of him he first leans in to kiss Impulse and then Zed. "It should start soon."</p><p>They settle in, leaning against him, and the Voids join them after greeting each other. Tango dims the fire with a gesture of his hand and for a moment Impulse can feel the cold of the desert night around them, but then Tango's arm is around his shoulders and his body heat is enough to ward it off.</p><p>And leaning into each other they raise their heads as the first shooting stars appear in the night sky.</p><p>Impulse doesn't think he has to make a wish. He has all he could ever need right here with him.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>